The SDA, the union for workers retail, fast food and warehousing has called on the Noni B Group to urgently clean up its act on workplace practices after the union received a multitude of complaints from aggrieved employees.
The Noni B Group operates fashion chains Noni B, Autograph, Crossroads, Katies, Millers, Rivers, Rockmans, W Lane, Beme and Table Eight.
SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer said the union had been flooded with complaints by Noni B employees on a range of workplace issues including cuts to part time hours and take-home pay, health and safety concerns, consistent understaffing and pressure to meet unrealistic sales targets.
“The SDA has received numerous complaints from a range of employees regarding multiple work practices that fall short of good industrial standards or breach workplace regulations.”
“These practices have included setting out to unilaterally cut hours for part-time workers by 20% without proper consultation and understaffing stores which has placed excessive sales demands and work tasks on remaining retail staff.”
“In some cases, this deliberate understaffing meant retail employees were at times left in stores alone and could not take toilet breaks or were forced to lift heavy boxes and work up ladders in an unsafe manner.”
“The lack of staff has also resulted in masses of stock remaining unprocessed and being stacked in change rooms and blocking fire escapes, clearly in breach of WHS laws.”
“Noni B has also attempted to force managers to sign ‘individual contracts’ which do not include any pay rises and barely cover Award entitlements potentially leaving managers worse off when compared with the Award depending on their rosters.”
“As a result of these multiple workplace breaches and some shortcomings in the proposal itself, the SDA has refused to approve the proposed Noni B enterprise bargaining agreement.”
“The SDA has a number of matters with Noni B before the Fair Work Commission. It will continue to prosecute these and will continue assisting staff members with their grievances.”
“The message is clear. It’s time for Noni B to clean up its act and to adhere to good workplace practices for its retail staff.”
Media contact: Darren Rodrigo 0414 783 405